A Glimpse of Decay (Book 3): Lost in Twilight (23 page)

Novak spun the copter around and tried to drop down to the ramp, but the concrete rails kept the craft from landing.  Seeing their opportunity, Jim ran up to the door of the hovering copter and grunted out loud as he tossed Vincent up onto the deck.  Jones and Karnes pulled the beleaguered man the rest of the way in and Jones went back to the door, reaching out for Jim.  Grabbing under the captain’s arms, Jones yelled for Novak to lift off.

As the helicopter floated higher, and with bloodied and shriveled hands reaching up in vain attempts to grab it, Magda stuck her hand out of the door and flipped the bird at the throng of zombies below them.  “Fuck you!” she screamed.

“Hang on, Captain!” Jones yelled as he pulled Jim into the craft.  Breathing heavy, Jim smiled and grabbed onto the sergeant, hugging him appreciatively.

Shondra, hunched down and catching her breath, quickly scurried her way over to Vincent and grabbed him by the side of his face.  “Are you alright?’ she cried.

Vincent leaned over, resting against her bosom.  His head was throbbing with pain and he could taste his own blood.  With his broken nose, he was having trouble breathing through his nostrils. After taking a bitter-sweet second to feel her, he leaned back and looked at her through his good eye.

“Vincent, what’s the matter!” she screamed over the whine of the engine.

He began to smile—sadly—and a bloody tear ran down from the corner of his reddened eye.  “I don’t have long, so I need to tell you good-bye.”

Confused and frightened at his words, she didn’t know what he was talking about.  “What do you mean?  What are you saying?”

Vincent slowly raised his right hand, showing her a bite wound that was on the bottom of his palm.

“Nooooooo!” Shondra screamed.  “Noooooo!”

Magda and the rest of the passengers saw Vincent’s wound and they backed away from him.

“Damn it!” Jim yelled.

“He’s infected!” Irene shouted.

Karnes brought up his rifle and pointed it at Vincent.

“No, don’t!” Shondra pleaded as she slid between Karnes and her injured partner.

Grabbing onto her arm, Vincent turned her around and looked into her distraught eyes.  “I’ve got to go, but you have to promise me…you have to stay strong!” he yelled over the engine.  “Never give up, never stop fighting, never stop living and never stop hoping!  And always remember me!”  He leaned over and kissed her, but only on the side of her cheek.  He didn’t want to take the chance of infecting her.

“What are you doing?” she asked hysterically. 

He glanced over his shoulder and looked at the open door of the copter.  He could already feel his brain boiling and his fists were balling up as an unexplainable wave of anger coursed through him.  He looked back at Shondra and yelled, “I haven’t known you for long, but I can truly say that…I love you!”  Spinning around on his butt, he got up on his hands and knees and crawled over to the door.

Without looking back, he dove headlong out of the helicopter.

Day 33

Log Cabin in North Georgia

James sat in the rocking chair with his rifle draped over his lap.  The room he was sitting in was starting to fill with the bluish-orange tint from the rising sun and he yawned as he fought to stay awake.  He looked over at Rhino as the faithful dog slept at the base of the front door—his head between his paws and one ear perked up.  A fire crackled in the fireplace behind him.

He rocked back and forth for a few seconds and a door in the back corner of the room slowly creaked open.  A groggy Michelle, dressed in sweat pants and a University of Georgia t-shirt, stumbled through the door as she rubbed her eyes.  “Good morning,” she said through a yawn.

James turned to look at her and replied, “Good morning to you too.  Did you get any sleep?”

Michelle shuffled over to a brown leather couch and plopped down in the center of it.  She raised her feet and placed them down on the edge of the coffee table in front of her, gripping the wood with her toes.  “No, I really didn’t” she said as she sighed.  “I was dreaming of Jerry all night…sad dreams.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

“Well, guess there’s nothing I can do about it,” she said with resignation.  “I’m just gonna have to figure out a way to get over it.”

“I don’t know if we can ever actually get over something like that,” James said as he stood up.  “But we can try to get around it.”  Hearing the conversation, Rhino raised his head and lifted himself up onto his hind quarters.  “Ready to go outside boy?’ James asked his dog.  Rhino raised up on all four legs and pointed his nose to the door knob.

Walking over to the door, James held his rifle in his left hand and opened the door with his right.  He took a cautious step out onto the porch and slowly scanned the wooded terrain that surrounded the cabin.  The sounds of birds chirping announced the beginning of another day.  He looked over at his truck to make sure no one or no
thing
was lurking behind it.  After feeling satisfied that the immediate area was free of threats, he let Rhino out onto the porch.  The dog quickly bolted down the wooden steps and sprinted down the small hill that the cabin sat on.

“You want some coffee?” Michelle called out to James.

“Yes please.”  He walked along the wraparound porch, ensuring that nothing was on the backside of their small shelter.  He then made his way to the front and went back inside.  “No one’s around,” he announced.

Modestly decorated in a rustic theme, the cabin provided the group with a sense of normalcy—more importantly, it provided them with a sense of security.  The main room had a couch and coffee table situated in the center with a fireplace and hearth on the left wall; book shelves on either side of the hearth.  Centered on the right wall was a small kitchenette.  A door just before the kitchenette led into one bedroom and a second door in the far right corner opened into a second bedroom.  A bathroom was located in the far left corner and windows were fitted into the front, back and kitchen side walls.

Benjie walked out of the second bedroom and shuffled his way over to the couch.  He looked at the shirt Michelle was wearing and then looked down at the shirt he was wearing.  “Really?” he asked out loud.

“What?” Michelle said.  She then noticed that he was wearing a t-shirt that had “Roll Tide” stenciled across his chest.  “Oh my God, you’re not serious, are you?  You’re gonna mess with me because of my Georgia shirt?”

“I can’t believe that you would pack that shirt,” Benjie joked.  He was trying to create a lighter mood because he had overheard her telling James about her dreaming of Jerry.

“Uh, this was Jerry’s,” she said in a solemn voice.

Benjie lowered his head in shame.  Trying to think of a proper response, he decided to simply say, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay…I know you didn’t mean nothing by it.”

“I know…but I should have known better.”

“No…really, it’s alright.  Anyway, coffee’s ready.  Want a cup?”

“That would be nice.  Thanks”

Michelle poured three cups of coffee and handed one to Benjie.  James walked up to the kitchen counter and took his cup.  After taking a careful sip, he walked back out onto the porch, leaving the door open.

“So, do you think we should maybe try to go to Rome?” Michelle asked as she sat at a small table in the kitchenette.

“I don’t know about that,” Benjie said as he sat down next to her.  “I really don’t know how safe that would be.”

“You think it’s still dangerous down there?”  She sipped her coffee and rubbed the top of her left foot with the bottom of her right foot.

“It wasn’t too safe when we tried to go there before.”  Benjie cupped the mug in both hands and twitched his mouth.  “And we don’t know what happened when the National Guard tried to go retake the town.”

“I know…and that’s what’s killing me…the not knowing.”  She placed her cup down on the table and pointed to a small radio that was sitting atop the hearth.  “We haven’t heard anything on the radio…anything at all, and Daddy never put a T.V. in here.  We don’t know what’s going on out there.  Maybe someone’s found a cure, or maybe things are going back to normal.”

“Or maybe the reason we haven’t heard anything on the radio is because there’s no one left out there,” Benjie countered as he tipped his mug slightly in the direction of Michelle.  “Maybe that’s why we haven’t seen anyone else up here.”

“But don’t you want to know what’s going on?” Michelle asked.

“I do, but I don’t want to put us in any danger while trying to find out what’s happening.”  He took another drink from his mug and said, “It’s not worth it.”

“What do you think?” Michelle called out to James.  “You think we should go to town to see what’s going on…or maybe even go back to Cartersville?”

“Uh, I don’t know about Rome, and Cartersville…that would be too risky.  That’s way too far away right now.”

“I agree with James on that,” Benjie said.  “Going to Cartersville is just too dangerous.”  Standing up and walking over to Michelle, he placed his hand on her shoulder.  “Look, I know you want to find out what’s going on.  Believe me, I know all of us want to hear some kind of news, but I think we need to wait a little longer before we go venturing off anywhere.

The Lord blessed us with your daddy’s cabin.  Thank God he had the foresight to make this place into what it is.  We’ve got a roof over our head, we’ve got power and running water, and we’ve got food.  There’s no reason to leave this place so long as things are good here.  We’re safe…but if we go out there…well, I don’t know how safe we would be.”

“Benjie’s got a point,” James noted.  “Things are good here.  Whatever is going on out there, the world seems to be turning just fine without us being involved.”

Michelle ran her hands through her uncombed hair and she let out a moan of frustration.  “I guess you’re right, but I just want to know if things are—”

A series of furious barks from Rhino caused Michelle to stop in midsentence.  Not being able to see his dog through the thick brush, James stepped down off of the porch and onto the grass and pine needles.  His first thought was to whistle for Rhino, but he decided against it because he didn’t want to alert any unwanted guests to their presence.

Benjie darted into his room and emerged a moment later, fully clothed and armed with Jerry’s shotgun.  “Go lock yourself in the bedroom,” he told Michelle.  Not stopping long enough to allow her to respond, he trotted through the front door to join James.

With Rhino continuing to bark, James gave Benjie a hand signal to flank out to their right.  James then hunched down and began to slowly walk to the edge of the clearing that formed a small yard in front of the cabin.  Once at the tree line, he squinted and tried to peer through foliage and underbrush.  He raised his rifle to his shoulder and as he scanned the area around him, Rhino dashed out of the brush and positioned himself at James’ side.  He growled as he lowered his head and raised his shoulders.

“What is it, boy?” James whispered to Rhino.  Just then, he heard some rustling off in the distance.  “Shit,” he said to himself.

“Hey there,” called a voice through the brush.  “That’s a nice dog you got there.  Nearly bit my head off.”

James caught sight of a man making his way through the bushes.  He was wearing camouflaged hunting clothes and was carrying a pack on his back.  And he was armed.  James drew a bead on the man’s chest and said, “Just hold up there, mister.  Don’t take a step closer or I’ll shoot you dead.”

“Whoa,” the man said.  He raised his hunting rifle over his head and said in a shaky voice, “We’re not looking for trouble, sir.”

“We?” James dropped down to his knee and his eyes darted back and forth as he kept the barrel of his rifle fixed on the man.  “How many are you?”

“It’s me, my girlfriend and her brother.  They’re right behind me.  Honest, we don’t want any problems, mister.”

“Alright then, get on out here in the open where I can see you…with your hands up.  Now!”

“Okay, mister, we’re coming out.  Just don’t shoot.”  The man turned and looked behind him.  “Come on Hannah.  Come on, Donnie.  Just follow me.”

James stepped back, rifle still at the ready, and he directed the three people to step out into the clearing.  Seeing that all of them were armed, he ordered them to place their hunting rifles on the ground.  “Benjie, get over here and check them.”

Benjie, emerging from the bushes, cautiously walked up to the group and began to pat them down.  Rhino continued to growl, his upper lip quivering as he flashed his teeth in anxiety.  After concluded the search, Benjie stepped back and said, “They’re clean.”

James gave the group a look-over, realizing that he was dealing with a bunch of youngsters.  “So, you’re Hannah and you’re Donnie, but who are you?”

“I’m Allister,” the young man said to James.

“Damn, how old are you kids?” Benjie asked.

“I’m twenty-two,” Allister said.

“I’m twenty,” Hannah said, “and my brother is sixteen.”

Not knowing if anyone else was hiding in the brush, James looked beyond the three and surveyed the brush.

“I promise, it’s just us three,” Allister said.

James looked back at him and said, “You better be telling me the truth.”  He looked into the eyes of the young man.  His face was scratched and dirty and his nose was rubbed raw.  He glanced over at the other two and saw that they all had the same look on their faces—a look of fear.

Michelle, holding a pistol and standing on the porch, said, “See if they’re hungry or thirsty.”

Not taking his eyes off of the three newcomers, James asked, “Have you guys had anything to eat?”

As a sign of respect, Allister reached up and took off his cap, exposing his dirty red hair.  “Mister, we haven’t eaten in two days.”

“The name is James.”  James looked over at Michelle and said, “And that’s Michelle.”

“And I’m Benjie,” Benjie added.

“Then why don’t y’all come on in and I’ll see if I can rustle up something for you to eat,” Michelle said.  She waved them up.  “Come on.”

Allister was hesitant at first, so he turned and looked at Hannah for reassurance.  With a frightened look on her face, she nodded in acknowledgment.  Although they were all wary of the cabin and what was inside, their hunger was too great to deal with and they decided to put their trust in the strangers with the vicious dog.

Rhino continued to growl as the young troupe walked up to the porch.  James looked down at the dog and snapped his fingers, signaling to the K-9 to back down.  The dog obeyed, but he kept a cautious eye on the strangers.

“That sure is a mean dog,” Donnie said as he walked up the steps to the porch.

“Only when he has to be.  But if he trusts you, he can be your best bud.”

As the three made their way into the cabin, Benjie and James gathered up the rifles, making sure to unload them.

***

“So, where are you from?” Benjie asked as the three young travelers scarfed down their food.  Michelle had served them canned chili.

“We’re from Rome,” Hannah said as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.  Her stringy black hair kept getting into her face and she was having to brush it back.

“And how did you end up out here,” James asked as he sipped on a glass of water.  He was sitting on the rocking chair watching the three devour their food.

Allister was about to shovel a spoonful into his mouth, but he stopped, placing the utensil down in the blue steel bowl.  He looked down and took a deep sigh.  “My parents were in Atlanta when this all broke out.  I couldn’t get ahold of them on the cell phone.”  He paused to recollect the event—and to hold back his tears.  “Then things started happening in Rome.  The police, the sheriff, the state patrol…even the State Guard.  They kind of tried taking over the whole town.  The mayor said that he had no choice but to close off the city in order to keep infected people from getting in.”

“Yeah, but that was all bullshit!” Donnie said angrily.  “They just wanted to run the town.  And in the end, they ended up shooting the mayor and a bunch of other folks who tried to speak out against what was going on.”